Island



(N0 MOdel.)

H. A. CHURCH.

COMBINED THREAD GUIDE AND LATCH OPENER FOR KNITTING MAGHI ES.

N0. 406.626. Patented July 9, 1889.

llll \l I ll'lllllll. N 7 no 5 0 4L 7 1 2 m W 5 m n I Y 1 6 F 6 m 7ZNVIN TUE:

mphur. Waningmm D c UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. CHURCH, or rnovrnnnon, RI-IODE isLnnnf COMBINED THREAD-GUIDEAND LATCH-OPENER FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,626, dated July 9,1889.

Application filed November 8, 1887. Serial No. 254,605. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, HENRY A. CHURCH, of Providence, in the county ofProvidence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Combined Thread-Guides and Latch-Openers forKnitting-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification.

This invention relates to a combined threadguide and device forunlatching or opening the latches of knitting-needles; and the obj ectsof the invention are to provide at a slight cost a simple and efficientthread-guide and latch-opener and a' holder therefor of improved andsimplified construction; and to these ends the invention consists in thefeatures of construction and combinations of parts, as will behereinafter more fully described and claimed. v In order that myinvention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe and claimthe same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1is an outside View of a portion of the cam-cylinder of an ordinaryknitting-n1achine, upon which is mounted my improved stand andadjustable holder carrying. the combined guide and latc11-opener,'whichcooperates with the needles,a few of which are shown. Fig. 2 is a sideview of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of thesame. Fig. 4 is a plan view of mechanism similar to that shown in theother views, with the exception of the combined guide and latch-opener,which is of another form from that illustrated in the other views.

In the said drawings like numbers of reference designate correspondingparts throughout.

-Referring to the drawings, the number 5 designates the cam-cylinder and6 the needles of an ordinary circular-knitting machine, in which theneedles are rotated in a circle in the direction of the arrow andreciprocated vertically, the relative position of the needlecylinderbeing indicated in the plan views by the broken lines 9 in Figs. 3 and4. The needles 6 are formed with the downwardlycurved or crooked barbs8, and have the latches 7 hinged upon the body of the needles andclosing over the end of the barb like a mousing-piece to form the eye ofthe needle.

To the-outside of the cam-cylinder 5 is secured, by means of screw 10,the stand 11, having a flattened portion to take against thecylinder-face, and a cylindrical portion proj ecting therefrom andformed with the Vertical socket12, into the side of which is let theset-screw 13.

Upon the stand is set the holder 14, consisting in the head 15, having ahorizontal perfora- ,and with one or more of the guide-eyes 20 formed inone stem or leg of the L form by twirling or bending the wire on itself.The other stem or leg of the form is slightly curved, as at 21, andconstitutes the latchopening finger for engaging the closed latches andopening the same.

The combined apparatus 19 is mounted in the holder, with the stemthereof having the guide-eyes 20 placed in the perforation 16, and isadjusted by means of the set-screw 13 of the stand and the binding-screw17 of the holder so as to lie in proper position to project over intothe 'path of the needles, as shown in the several views.

The end of the curved leg of the form 19 extends above the needles andcomes between the free end of the closed latch and the barb of theneedle, so as to force the latch into openposition when the same shouldbe accidentally closed.

The yarn or thread which is fed to the neebe passed about the portion ofWire intermediate the two eyes 20 with one or two turns in order to givea tension to the thread.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A combined thread guide and latchopener forknitting-machines, consisting, essentially, of a single piece of wirebent in substantially L shape, and provided at the junction of the twolegs constituting the L with a guide-eye formed by bending the Wire, oneof the legs being adapted to engage and open the latches of the rotatingknitting-needles, substantially as set forth.

2. A combined thread guide and latchopener for knitting-machines,consisting, essentially, of a single piece of wire bent in substantiallyL shape, and provided at the junction of the two legs constituting the Lwith guide having one or more eyes and adapted to engage and open thelatches of the knittingmachine, substantially as set forth.

HENRY A. CHURCH.

Witnesses:

J. A. MILLER, J12, M. F. BLIGH.

